The Rec Room

The Rec Room is a Canadian entertainment-restaurant brand owned by Cineplex Entertainment. Its venues combine food and beverage service with a broad range of paid recreational attractions, including arcade games, driving simulators, bowling, darts, archery, virtual reality and other interactive activities. Locations also include flexible event areas and auditorium-style spaces that can host concerts, screenings and other live programming. The concept was developed by Cineplex as part of a strategy to diversify beyond traditional cinema exhibition. The company was responding to the structural pressure created by streaming services and to the opportunity to build entertainment destinations in which customers could spend more time and participate in activities rather than simply watch a film. Before The Rec Room was announced, Cineplex had discussed arcade and sports-bar formats, including the expansion of its Playdium and XScape concepts, as possible extensions of its entertainment business. Cineplex announced The Rec Room concept in January 2015, initially identifying planned venues in Calgary, Edmonton and Toronto. The first site opened in South Edmonton Common in September 2016. A Toronto venue at Roundhouse Park and another Edmonton venue at West Edmonton Mall followed in 2017. The company described the format as a national chain with locations generally ranging from approximately 30,000 to 50,000 square feet, although the scale and attraction mix vary by site. The brand subsequently expanded to shopping and mixed-use destinations across several Canadian provinces. Its listed locations have included Deerfoot in Calgary; South Edmonton and West Edmonton Mall in Edmonton; Roundhouse Park in Toronto; Masonville Place in London; Square One in Mississauga; Avalon Mall in St. John's; Seasons of Tuxedo in Winnipeg; Brentwood Town Centre in Burnaby; Park Place in Barrie; Granville Street in Vancouver; and Royalmount in Mount Royal, Quebec. The network gives Cineplex a presence in a category adjacent to cinemas but centered on social play, dining and group entertainment. Immersive technology has been an important part of the brand's proposition. The Toronto venue featured The VOID virtual-reality attraction, and Cineplex announced in 2018 that it would become The VOID's exclusive Canadian franchisee, with plans to add the attraction at other Rec Room locations, including Mississauga and West Edmonton Mall. The Rec Room therefore operates as a multi-attraction entertainment destination rather than a single-purpose arcade or restaurant. Expansion plans were affected by the COVID-19 pandemic. A Vancouver Granville Street venue, announced in 2019 and originally expected to open in 2021, was delayed until November 2024 according to the referenced material. Cineplex also announced its first Quebec location at Royalmount, planned for fall 2024. The brand's positioning remains focused on all-in-one social entertainment: customers can eat and drink, play digital and physical games, attend events and use immersive attractions within one venue.

The Rec Room was created by Cineplex Entertainment as an expansion beyond conventional cinema exhibition. In the early 2010s, Cineplex was examining ways to diversify its business as streaming services changed the economics and habits associated with moviegoing. At a 2014 annual general meeting, Cineplex chief executive Ellis Jacob described arcades and related entertainment formats as opportunities to broaden the company's activities beyond cinemas. The discussion followed the company's development of concepts such as Playdium and XScape and came amid reports that Cineplex and Onex had considered acquiring the U.S. entertainment chain Dave & Buster's. In January 2015, Cineplex formally announced The Rec Room, a new entertainment-restaurant concept initially planned for Calgary's Deerfoot City, South Edmonton Common and Toronto's Roundhouse Park. The intended format was substantially larger and more varied than a conventional arcade. It was designed to combine food and beverage areas with digital games, physical recreation, immersive technology and event facilities, creating a destination suitable for social visits and group occasions. The first venue opened at South Edmonton Common in September 2016. A second location opened at Toronto's Roundhouse Park in June 2017, and another Edmonton venue opened at West Edmonton Mall during the same period. Cineplex planned a national network of approximately 10 to 15 locations, generally ranging from 30,000 to 50,000 square feet. The large footprint allowed each site to include several forms of entertainment alongside restaurants and bars. The chain expanded into multiple Canadian provinces. Locations were announced or opened at Masonville Place in London, Square One Shopping Centre in Mississauga, Avalon Mall in St. John's, Seasons of Tuxedo in Winnipeg, Brentwood Town Centre in Burnaby and Park Place in Barrie. The Toronto venue incorporated The VOID virtual-reality attraction. In July 2018, Cineplex announced that it would be The VOID's exclusive Canadian franchisee and intended to introduce the attraction at further Rec Room venues, including the Mississauga and West Edmonton Mall sites. Further development included a Vancouver Granville Street venue announced in May 2019. The site was intended to include a rooftop patio and was initially expected to open in 2021, but the project was delayed during the COVID-19 pandemic. The referenced material identifies its eventual opening as November 2024. In September 2019, Cineplex also announced plans for its first Quebec location at Royalmount in Mount Royal, with an expected fall 2024 opening. The Rec Room's operating model combines several revenue and experience categories within one brand: arcade and redemption play, simulators, physical games, virtual reality, food and beverage, and ticketed or hosted events. Its venues may include auditorium-style screens suitable for concerts and other live programming. This combination positions the brand as a social entertainment center linked to, but distinct from, Cineplex's movie-theatre network. The brand remains active in Canada, with locations listed across Alberta, British Columbia, Manitoba, Newfoundland and Labrador, Ontario and Quebec.

• 2024

  Granville Street location opens

  [1]The Rec Roomen.wikipedia.org

  The Vancouver Granville Street venue was reported as opening in November after pandemic-related delays.

• 2019

  Vancouver and Quebec expansion plans announced

  [1]The Rec Roomen.wikipedia.org

  Cineplex announced a Granville Street location in Vancouver and a first Quebec location at Royalmount in Mount Royal.

• 2018

  The VOID partnership announced

  [1]The Rec Roomen.wikipedia.org

  Cineplex announced that it would become The VOID's exclusive Canadian franchisee and add the virtual-reality attraction at selected venues.

• 2017

  Toronto and West Edmonton Mall locations open

  [1]The Rec Roomen.wikipedia.org

  The brand expanded with a Roundhouse Park venue in Toronto and another Edmonton location at West Edmonton Mall.

• 2016

  First venue opens in Edmonton

  [1]The Rec Roomen.wikipedia.org

  The first The Rec Room opened at South Edmonton Common in September.

• 2015

  The Rec Room concept is announced

  [1]The Rec Roomen.wikipedia.org

  Cineplex announced the new entertainment-restaurant concept and identified initial planned locations in Calgary, Edmonton and Toronto.

A large-format social entertainment destination that combines interactive attractions, dining, drinks and live events in one venue. The brand extends Cineplex's entertainment portfolio beyond conventional movie theatres and targets group outings, casual social visits and event occasions.

• Entertainment centers · 2016

  The Rec Room venues

  Large-format venues that combine arcade and redemption games, driving simulators, recreational activities, restaurants, bars and event facilities. Depending on the location, attractions may include bowling, darts, archery, virtual reality and other interactive experiences. The format is intended to support casual visits, group outings and live programming within a single destination.

• Virtual reality · 2017

  The VOID

  An immersive virtual-reality attraction offered at selected The Rec Room locations through Cineplex's announced exclusive Canadian franchise relationship. The experience was associated with the Toronto venue and planned for additional sites including Mississauga and West Edmonton Mall.

• Food and beverage · 2016

  Restaurant and bar service

  Food and beverage operations integrated into The Rec Room venues. Restaurants and bars form part of the brand's all-in-one entertainment proposition, allowing visitors to combine dining and drinks with games, attractions and events.

• Events · 2016

  Live-event and auditorium spaces

  Cinema-style auditorium and flexible event areas that can be used for concerts and other live programming. These spaces extend the venues beyond gaming and dining and support hosted entertainment occasions.

• 2019

  Continue national expansion into Vancouver and QuebecStrategy

  Background

  Cineplex continued developing the chain beyond its existing Alberta and Ontario footprint.

  Action taken

  The company announced a Granville Street location in Vancouver and a Royalmount location in Mount Royal, Quebec.

  Aftermath

  The Vancouver project was delayed during the COVID-19 pandemic; the referenced material identifies its opening as November 2024.

  Source

• 2018

  Add The VOID virtual reality to selected venuesProduct launch

  Background

  The Toronto location featured The VOID virtual-reality attraction, creating an opportunity to extend immersive technology across the network.

  Action taken

  Cineplex announced that it would become The VOID's exclusive Canadian franchisee and planned additional installations at venues including Mississauga and West Edmonton Mall.

  Aftermath

  The partnership became part of The Rec Room's broader multi-attraction positioning.

  Source

• 2015

  Diversify Cineplex through a national entertainment-restaurant chainStrategy

  Background

  Cineplex was seeking business opportunities beyond cinema exhibition amid the growth of streaming and changing consumer entertainment habits.

  Action taken

  The company announced The Rec Room, a large-format concept combining interactive attractions, restaurants, bars and event facilities, with an intended national network of approximately 10 to 15 locations.

  Aftermath

  The first venue opened in Edmonton in 2016, followed by expansion across several Canadian provinces.

  Source

1. 1The Rec Roomen.wikipedia.org